GB2313780A - Hair curler with retractable prongs - Google Patents

Abstract

In an electric hair curler having a handle and an elongate curler barrel with a plurality of holes 24 through which protrude prongs 14, a sleeve (25, Fig 1) is provided inside the barrel by rotation of which the prongs can, as shown, be extended from or retracted into the barrel. The prongs may be of plastic and formed as combs whose spines 23 engage and pivot in troughs 29T of aluminium cams 27 attached to the sleeve. The crests 29C of the cams serve to conduct heat from the heating element (15, Fig 1) which extends within a metal bar (34, Fig 1) along the barrel axis.

Description

HAIR TRKATMENT DEVICE The present invention relates to a hair treatment device, such as a hair curler or brush.

According to the invention, there is provided a hair treatment device which comprises a elongate body providing a front hair implement and a rear handle, which hair implement is formed by a tubular member and a plurality of hair-engaging members protruding out through holes in the tubular member and includes a rotatable member which is provided inside the tubular member and connected to inner ends of the hair-engaging members for, upon rotation in opposite directions, extending and retracting the hairengaging members out of and into the tubular member, respectively.

Preferably, the hair-engaging members are movable by the rotatable member between an extended position in which they protrude substantially radially from the tubular member and a retracted position in which they are substantially within the tubular member.

Preferably, the hair-engaging members are hinged at their inner ends to the rotatable member.

It is preferred that the hair-engaging members are in the form of prongs.

More preferably, the prongs are arranged in rows around the tubular member, the prongs of each row being provided by a respective comb.

Even more preferably, each comb has an inner spine which is connected at opposite ends to the rotatable member.

In a preferred embodiment, the hair implement includes a heating element provided inside the rotatable member.

Preferably, the rotatable member has at least one thermally-conducting member which extends from the rotatable member to the tubular member for conducting heat from the heating element to the tubular member.

In a specified arrangement, the thermally-conducting member supports intermediate portions of the spines of the combs.

It is preferred that the thermally-conducting member is annular and disposed around the rotatable member and has teeth extending past the spines of the combs to reach the tubular member.

Preferably, the thermally-conducting member is of aluminium.

The rotatable member may preferably have three said thermally-conducting members provided at intervals along the longitudinal extent.

Conveniently, the rotatable member is rotatable by means of a ring provided at a front end of the handle.

For example, the hair implement is in the form of a hair curler.

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of an embodiment of a hair treatment device in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the hair treatment device of Figure 1, taken along line A-A; Figure 3 is a left end view of the hair treatment device of Figure 1; Figures 4A to 4C are cross-sectional end views of the hair treatment device of Figure 2, taken along lines C-C, D-D and E-E, respectively; and Figures 5A to 5C are cross-sectional end views of the hair treatment device of Figure 2, taken along line B-B, showing its prongs in different protruding positions.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a hair treatment device embodying the invention, which device is in the form of a hair curler 10 having a elongate body providing, at its front and rear ends, a hair implement 12 and a handle 13, respectively. The hair implement 12 is formed by a tubular metal barrel 11 and six rows of prongs 14 provided equi-angularly around the barrel 11 for holding or engaging hair. A heating element 15 is installed inside the barrel 11 for applying heat to hair around the barrel 11. The operation of the heating element 15 is controlled by a slide switch 16 and indicated by a light 17 provided at a front end 18 of the handle 13.

The hair implement barrel 11 is connected at its rear end to the handle front end 18 by means of an annular coupler 19 and is held at its front end by means of an end plug 20.

The end plug 20 is fixed to the coupler 19, at the other end of the barrel 11, by means of a metal central tube 21 which extends co-axially through the barrel 11 and accommodates the heating element 15. The heating element 15 is protected by electrically-insulating sheets and located within an aluminium bar 34 inserted into the central tube 21. The prongs 14 of each row are provided by a respective integral plastic comb 22 having a spine 23.

The barrel 11 has six rows of holes 24, through which the prongs 14 of the corresponding combs 22 protrude from inside out of the barrel 11.

The hair implement 12 includes a metal tubular sleeve 25 which is disposed co-axially around the central tube 21 for angular movement or rotation about their common axis. The sleeve 25 has, at each end, an annular flange 26 which is formed with six equi-angularly spaced holes aligned with the corresponding holes of the other flange 26. Each pair of such aligned holes engage the opposite ends of the spine 23 of a respective comb 22, such that the combs 22 are hinged to and around the sleeve 25 for individual pivotal movement about the corresponding spines 23.

Three aluminum annular cams 27 are fixed co-axially on and around the sleeve 25, at equal longitudinal intervals apart. Each cam 27 has an annular cross-section which comprises six equi-angularly spaced generally triangular asymmetrical teeth 28 providing six crests 29C and six interlacing troughs 29T. The crests 29C are in sliding engagement or contact with the inner surface of the barrel 11, and the troughs 29T provide seats for the spines 23 of the corresponding combs 22. Insofar as the combs 22 are concerned, the cams 27 serve to engage and support the intermediate portions of the spines 23 for movement thereby.

As best shown in Figures 4A to 4C, the sleeve 25 has, at its rear end, an axially-extending integral tab 30 which is angularly trapped within an arcuate recess 31 formed on the inner side of the coupler 19. The recess 31 limits the angular movement of the sleeve 25 on the central tube 21 to an angle of about 40". The sleeve 25 is angularly movable by means of an external ring 32 provided around the front end 18 of the handle 13. The ring 32 has a radiallyextending internal stud 33 which engages through the end tab 30 of the sleeve 25 to enable the ring 32 to turn the sleeve 25.

As best shown in Figures 5A to 5C sequentially, upon angular movement in direction X, the sleeve 25 rotates to move the combs 22 relative to the barrel 11, thereby withdrawing the prongs 14 through the respective holes 24.

As the prongs 14 are hinged to the sleeve 25 and engaged by the respective holes 24, they will pivot down and retract into the barrel 11. In the fully extended position (Figure 5A), the prongs 14 protrude radially or perpendicularly with respect to the barrel 11. In the fully retracted position (Figure 5C), the prongs 14 stay just wholly within the barrel 11, with some of them lying on adjacent inclined sides of the respective teeth 28 of the cams 27. The prongs 14 remain in alignment with the respective holes 24 of the barrel 11, for subsequent reverse movement.

Upon subsequent turning in the opposite direction, the sleeve 25 will push or poke the prongs 14 through the respective holes 24 and out of the barrel 11 again. During this action, the prongs 14 will protrude out and pivot up relative to the barrel 11 from the fully retracted to the fully extended position.

It is to be appreciated that the said pivotal movement of the prongs 14 is effected through rotation of the sleeve 25 by means of the ring 32. In practice, so long as the sleeve 25 is not rotated by means of the ring 32, the sleeve 25 can hardly be back-rotated by the prongs 14. The prongs 14 will therefore remain stably in whatever pivotal position that they may be at. Accordingly, the extent to which or the angle at which the prongs 14 are to protrude can be adjusted or controlled by using the ring 32, without any practical risk of the prongs 14 being unintentionally displaced or moved through normal use of the hair curler 10.

In operation, the heating element 15 applies heat via the bar 34 to the central tube 21 around it, and the heat is then efficiently conducted through the sleeve 25 and the cams 27 to the barrel 11. In this regard, the cams 27 serve to enable heat conduction past the inner spines 23 of the combs 22.

Apart from the advantage of being space saving, the retractable prongs 14 also permits adjustment of the hair gripping or combing characteristic, in terms of protruding length or angle, of the overall hair curler 10.

It is appreciated that the hair treatment device of this invention may take any other forms, such as a hair brush.

The invention has been given by way of example only, and various modifications of and/or alterations to the described embodiment may be made by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as specified in the appended claims.

Claims (15)

1. A hair treatment device comprising a elongate body providing a front hair implement and a rear handle, which hair implement is formed by a tubular member and a plurality of hair-engaging members protruding out through holes in the tubular member and includes a rotatable member which is provided inside the tubular member and connected to inner ends of the hair-engaging members for, upon rotation in opposite directions, extending and retracting the hair-engaging members out of and into the tubular member, respectively.

2. A hair treatment device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hair-engaging members are movable by the rotatable member between an extended position in which they protrude substantially radially from the tubular member and a retracted position in which they are substantially within the tubular member.

3. A hair treatment device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the hair-engaging members are hinged at their inner ends to the rotatable member.

4. A hair treatment device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the hair-engaging members are in the form of prongs.

5. A hair treatment device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the prongs are arranged in rows around the tubular member, the prongs of each row being provided by a respective comb.

6. A hair treatment device as claimed in claim 5, wherein each comb has an inner spine which is connected at opposite ends to the rotatable member.

7. A hair treatment device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hair implement includes a heating element provided inside the rotatable member.

8. A hair treatment device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the rotatable member has at least one thermally-conducting member which extends from the rotatable member to the tubular member for conducting heat from the heating element to the tubular member.

9. A hair treatment device as claimed in claim 8 when dependent upon claim 6, wherein the thermally-conducting member supports intermediate portions of the spines of the combs.

10. A hair treatment device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the thermally-conducting member is annular and disposed around the rotatable member and has teeth extending past the spines of the combs to reach the tubular member.

11. A hair treatment device as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the thermally-conducting member is of aluminium.

12. A hair treatment device as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the rotatable member have three said thermally-conducting members provided at intervals along the longitudinal extent.

13. A hair treatment device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rotatable member is rotatable by means of a ring provided at a front end of the handle.

14. A hair treatment device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hair implement is in the form of a hair curler.

15. A hair treatment device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.